Day: August 18, 2019

August 18, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC You’d think a quest as straightforward as nourishing your body would be simple, but the deeper you go into the healthy food space, the more confusing it can be. Between a whole slew of different eating plans, alternative meats created in labs, natural sweeteners, and a new alt-milk popping up seemingly every week, it’s a tricky space to navigate. Here, nine dietitians, chefs, doctors, and fitness trainers in the wellness space reveal the healthy food motto they live by, serving as their True North no matter how the landscape changes. Keep reading to save their healthy eating quotes and mottos for your own future reference. 1. Healthy eating emphasizes food’s origins as well as its nutrition For Maya Feller, RD, CDN, healthy eating is all about balance—and pleasure. “Healthy eating for me means having access to fresh seasonal produce, responsibly farmed animal proteins, diverse beans and legumes, and ancient whole grains in minimal packaging,” she says. “I choose foods in their whole and minimally processed forms so that I can create balanced meals that burst with flavor and color.” She adds that she prioritizes buying food that’s locally sourced to support smaller-scale farming and agriculture. “This pattern of balanced eating supports all systems within my body while promoting overall health,” she says. 2. Healthy eating can have both physical and emotional benefits Frances Phillips, a registered nutritional therapist specializing in skin and beauty-related issues, says that to her, healthy eating means being fed

Read More

August 18, 2019 at 06:01AM by CWC When’s the last time you actually cleaned your hair brush? For me, it really only happens when I notice a disturbingly large clump of hair clinging on for dear life when I take it out of my drawer. And even when that’s the case, my cleaning methods never go beyond yanking the hair out of the brush gathering it into a ball, and tossing it in the garbage. While my method has served me well throughout the years, I could definitely benefit from taking the time to give my hair brush a solid cleaning every now and then. Not just for sanitary reasons, but also because of how much it can benefit hair health. “Just like you clean your makeup brushes or skincare tools, it’s necessary to clean hair tools—all of these items are breeding grounds for bacteria. Product, dead skin, dust, lint, and more can accumulate on your brush, and if you don’t clean it, you’re spreading all that back into your hair,” says celebrity hairstylist Kendall Dorsey. “Brushing also helps redistribute the oil from the scalp and keeps your hair shiny. If you don’t clean your brushes regularly or correctly, you may be redistributing old product or dead skin back onto the hair, making clean hair dirty again.” Here’s exactly how to clean your hair brush Like me, most people only make it through the first step. But the rest is easy, too. “If you have a plastic brush, simply remove

Read More

August 18, 2019 at 04:02AM by CWC On laundry day, I usually rely on my trusty big brand detergent to get the job done. Sure, I know there’s absolutely nothing natural looking about the powder blue liquid and I can’t pronounce virtually any of the ingredients (ethanaminium? I don’t know her), but it smells good and the bear on the bottle is cute, so here I am. No judgment, but I’m skeptical non-toxic detergents are actually up to the job. I mean, I sweat a lot when I work out. Could something made primarily with plant essences handle that? When I heard about Laundress’ special Sport Detergent, I was curious. An all-natural product promising to leave gym clothes smelling like eucalyptus? Again, I was skeptical. The product’s ingredients list plant-derived anionic and nonionic surfactants, stain-fighting and cleaning enzymes (protease, amylase, cellulase, lipase), mineral-derived cleaning enhancers (sodium gluconate, and calcium chloride), essential oils, and fragrance. I sent the list over to environmental therapist and health advisor Gay Browne to find out if it was, in fact, non-toxic. Her verdict was inconclusive. “I’m not sure about the cellulase or fragrance ingredients,” she says, indicating that she would need to know more information on what they’re made from. Still, she’s into the product. “How exciting that Laundress has created a eco-new sports detergent,” she says. “The more people who strive to use eco-friendly household products the better it is for the health of families and the planet.” I also emailed Laundress for more

Read More

August 18, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC When you’re bloated, crampy, and backed up, shimmying into a Spandex set sounds about as appealing as diving into an aquarium tank during shark feeding time. But, counterintuitively, one of the best ways to get things moving is to, well, get up and get moving. When you have digestive issues, says gastroenterologist Niket Sonpal, MD, “all exercise is good exercise…I have patients who I tell to take a walk after a meal to help things move forward, to help prevent a little bit of reflux, and to keep their gas levels low. Really anything that’s going to involve movement [is going to help].” But the best type of exercise to help constipation is ab work. “Part of what makes our intestines move is our innate musculature,” says Dr. Sonpal, but the abdominal wall muscles also play a role. “When you exercise, you’re jostling around and you’re also contracting those core muscles, which helps push the poop forward.” One more time for the people in the back: “Core exercises are going to be the best exercises for the abdomen and obviously for the promotion of poopage,” says Dr. Sonpal. (Yes, “promotion of poopage” was a real. quote.) Dr. Sonpal is quick to add that you can’t just crunch your way to better gut health. “I would emphasize—from the standpoint of a physician who literally talks about poop day in and day out—that exercise is just one factor in good poop. Diet, fiber, and water—these are

Read More